Why The Drive, Chip, and Putt Is More Than Valuable…It’s Priceless
Last year we brought my son through the gates of Augusta National Golf Club for the first time. But we didn’t bring him to watch the pros, we were there to watch the greats of his generation before they become…the greats.
A 1997 Masters badge - a token from Tiger Woods’ first of five green jackets and the first of fifteen major victories - is listed on ebay for $15,000.
An unopened and original copy of Taylor Swift’s debut album - the first of 10 original studio albums and four re-recorded studio albums - is listed for $240. It even has the original price sticker on it showing the owner first purchased it for $13.99 in 2006.
The reason these items are so pricey and highly sought after by collectors, is because they commemorate a time before these all-time greats…were the greats. These items mark the beginning of their journey, a time that long-time fans like to point back to and say “I remember them when…”
With The Masters tournament being set against the same backdrop year-after-year, the tournament has a very timeless feel to it. It makes it easy to compare every shot to that of another year on the same hole. Walking the grounds or sitting in the grandstands you hear a lot of different versions of, “I remember when…”
“I remember when Adam Scott made that hole-in-one on 16!”
“16? I remember when Tiger had that putt fall there in 2005.”
“I remember when Tiger made that eagle on 15 in 2018!”
“Oh, 15? Remember when Sergio hit that OCTUPLE bogey?”
Sergio Garcia sets record with octuple-bogey 13 on Augusta National's 15th hole.
While there’s always conversation comparing magical moments from hole-to-hole, it seemed that this year there was also a lot of conversation surrounding certain competitors and remembering where they started.
“Bailey Shoemaker? I remember watching her in the Drive, Chip, and Putt in 2018!”
“Gianna Clemente? She competed in the Drive, Chip, and Putt in 2017!”
Girls, 12-13 division second-place finisher Bailey Shoemaker poses with Masters champion Bubba Watson during the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club. Chris Trotman/Chris Trotman/Augusta National
The Drive, Chip, and Putt competition is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. One of the competitors in that inaugural competition was Ashkay Bhatia, who competed in the boys 12-13 age division. Fast forward ten years later and now Ashkay Bhatia holds a PGA Tour card and is (at the time of writing this) fighting to hold the lead at the Valero Texas Open. If he manages to keep the lead and win the tournament, he would become the first former Drive, Chip, and Putt national finalist to qualify for The Masters Tournament.
However, he wouldn’t be the first former Drive, Chip, and Putt finalist to compete at Augusta National. In fact, this year alone there were nine former Drive, Chip, and Putt national finalists in the field for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Boys 12-13 competitor Ashkay Bhatia putts in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday April 6, 2014. Sam Greenwood/Sam Greenwood/Augusta National
I’ve talked at length about my family’s history with Augusta. (In fact, I forced Adam to let me create an entire mini-series so I could keep talking about it. The third season drops tomorrow, by the way…) Majority of the memories that I have revolve around those magical shots that made the greats…the greats. Last year we continued our family’s tradition and brought my son through the gates of Augusta National Golf Club for the first time. But we didn’t bring my son to watch the pros, we were there for the Drive, Chip, and Putt.
We are going again this year and will be watching for names like Hudson Knapp, the 10-11 year old boys returning competitor from our neck of the woods. Or Kipp Madison, the 12-13 year old boys competitor from just outside of Augusta who watched his brother in the competition last year. We could be seeing any of this year’s national finalists competing again in Augusta, whether for the Women’s Amateur or for a Green Jacket. My son will get to have “I remember when…” moments for the greats of his generation, before they become…the greats!
When we get home from the competition this year, we will safely tuck away our Drive, Chip, and Putt badges with our Masters badges from years past. eBay might have these memories listed for $15,000, but I’d say they’re priceless.
